1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to ticket dispensers, and more particularly to ticket dispensers used in redemption-type arcade games.
2. Background of the Related Art
Ticket dispensers are used wherever tickets can be used as a means for exchange of goods and/or services. For example, amusement parks, theaters, and other public entertainment can use tickets to ensure that customers have paid an admission fee before making use of the entertainment services. In other fields such as public transportation, tickets can provide a similar service.
Another popular field for using tickets and ticket dispensers is the field of arcade games. Players of the arcade games can win redemption tickets based on a final score or goals which were completed during a game. The redemption tickets can be redeemed for prizes offered at the arcade.
In a typical redemption-type arcade game, a ticket dispenser is positioned at a front panel or in a game unit, where players have easy access to dispensed tickets. Generally, a supply such as a roll or fanfold of tickets is stored in a supply cache or compartment near the ticket dispenser within a game unit. The operator of the game can replace tickets when the supply is exhausted. The tickets are routed from the supply, through the ticket dispenser, and to a front opening or slot in the game unit through which the tickets are dispensed. The ticket dispenser may include one or more motor-driven rollers which can move the strip of tickets to and through the slot.
Examples of prior art ticket dispensers can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,627,183 to V. Mason, U.S. Pat. No. 2,657,750 to C. F. Webb, U.S. Pat. No. 2,219,650 to R. H. Helsel, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,280,678 to W. T. Shackelford.
A ticket dispenser typically used in arcade games is manufactured by Deltronic Labs, Inc. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,272,001). With the Deltronic dispenser, a ticket strip is routed from a supply to the back of the dispenser, through a sensor, through a set of pinch rollers, and out a dispensing slot in the game unit. The pinch rollers push the tickets along the ticket path and out the dispensing slot. Such a ticket dispenser is also configured to help impede a game player from pulling non-dispensed tickets from the game unit. For example, the pinch rollers can be on a wedge slide, such that when a ticket is attempted to be pulled out the slot by a game player, the pinch rollers grab the ticket more tightly in proportion to the pulling force to prevent any tickets from being pulled.
Although typical tickets used are made of heavy card stock, use of less stiff thin tickets may be more desirable. For example, tickets having a thickness similar to 20 lb. paper and a width of about one half of an inch can be used. Such tickets may be more desirable because only a certain amount of tickets may be stored at one time in the ticket supply space in the game unit, and the amount of tickets stored depends on the width and thickness of each ticket. With thinner tickets, more tickets can be stored for the dispenser in a given amount of space. This benefit is magnified as the number of tickets typically dispensed and redeemed increases. With additional features added to redemption arcade games, such as progressive bonus features, and prizes of greater worth often offered to customers, very large numbers of tickets can be dispensed to players in a single game and over many games played on a redemption arcade game unit. For example, an arcade game unit including a progressive feature can accumulate and then dispense a ticket award of 1000 or more tickets.
Using the ticket size of the prior art in conjunction with such ticket dispensing, an operator must continuously refill the ticket supply cache as tickets run out, incurring additional labor expense. The operator's cost for purchasing large numbers of such tickets also can get exceedingly high. Thus, use of thinner tickets can result in lower operating costs. In addition, because the resulting large numbers of tickets can be more easily counted using accurate scales, the tickets do not need to be thicker to accommodate manual counting of each individual ticket. A description of an example of such thin tickets can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,107 to S. P. Shoemaker, Jr., the specification of which is included herein by reference.
Unfortunately, because of the amount of tension typically imparted by the pinch rollers on the tickets to advance the ticket strip, the ticket strip can be torn, crumpled, or otherwise mutilated within the ticket dispenser. This can additionally result in jamming or misfeeding of the ticket dispenser. Further, the likelihood of such destruction of the ticket strip and resulting disruption of the ticket dispenser can be greater with decreasing thickness of the tickets.
To reduce such problems, a ticket dispenser using a knurled drive roller with one or more pressure rollers can be used instead of pinch rollers to progress a ticket strip along a ticket path between the ticket supply to the game unit ticket outlet. An example of such a ticket dispenser can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,107 to S. P. Shoemaker, Jr., the specification of which is herein incorporated by reference. Such a ticket dispenser produces less tension on a thin ticket strip, thereby causing less tearing, jamming, and misfeeds.
However, a ticket dispenser is desired that further reduces the likelihood of ticket damage and disruption of the ticket dispenser, including when used with thin tickets. In particular, a ticket dispenser is desired which imparts less tension on a ticket strip than in the prior art devices, in order to allow an increase in a speed with which tickets may be dispensed. Also, it is desired that the ticket dispenser include a simple, inexpensive braking mechanism to inhibit a game player from pulling one or more tickets from the ticket dispenser.